Sheet metal rolling



P 1932- R. R. SMIQTH ET AL 1,879,829

SHEET METAL ROLLING "Filed Dec. 29. 1950 R A.;-J"(/INVENTOR. W

A TTORNEYJ RUSSELL R. WILLIAM 'F. SONGEB, AND KENTUCKY, ASSIGNORS- 1'0 THE AMERICAN Patented Sept. 27, 1932 TOWN, OHIO, A GOB POBATION OF OHIO LAMBERT A. QALENDER, F ASHLAND, ROLLING HILL COMPANY, OF MEDLE- smmr mar. noLLme Application filed December 29, 1930. serial No. 505,280.

Our invention relates to the rblling of sheet metal, and particularly to an arrangement of mills and heating furnaces directed to the production of finished material, which mav terial is also useful for the rolling in greater multiples of thickness to finer gauges.

With the discovery that it was possible and practical in continuous rolling processes to reduce wide, thin metal to sheet form by forming in a pass or passes of one mill a succession of pieces which had a cross sectional contour which could readily be equally reduced in all portions thereof in a succeeding mill, the .art has directed its at- M tention to accomplishing some of the advantages of continuous rolling by the use of less expensive equipment. I

The invention in this application is directed to such an end, and deals with a mechag6 nism and method which can be employed to form sheets from sheet bars at a single heat ing. The subject matter of this application is touched upon and its basic principles covered in our co-pending application Serial No. 429,297, filed February 18, 1930.

The particular problem with which this application deals is the the production from sheet bars of sheets, .which atpresent we have been able to produce as thin as 18 gauge, and also the roduction of what has been termed brea down, namely, material which can be formed into acks, and will be uniform enough to permit of a finishing rolling operation without any shaping pass in the finishing mill of the material fromwhich the pack is formed.

Another way of stating our object is that we propose to start with the usual sheet bar of commerce, and at a single heating produce a product which is closely similar to the product of the continuous, four-high, roller bearing mills of the present day. We accomplish our novel method, employing the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawing, and will fully describe both the method and the mechanism. In the appended claims we will set forth the novelty of our invention.

In the drawing Figure 1 is aside elevation, partly diagrammatic, of an arrangement of rolling mills, tables and furnaces. Fiigure 2 is a section on line 22 of Figure Figure 3 is a plan view of the mills and tables.

While the particular nature of the arrangement of mechanisms shown is not essential to our invention, we have selectedfor illustrationa standard set-up, which will serve for accomplishing our objects.

We have indicated a furnace at 1, which will preferably be a continuous furnace, into one end of which sheet bars 2 are placed, and from which the sheet bars properly heated are fed one by one. Located adjacent to the outlet of the furnace is the table 3 of the twohigh mill 4. Byreference, this mill is kept cool by water, as y a spray 3a, and is what 1s known as a water mill.

As the sheet bars are fed from the furnace, they are passed in succession through the two-high mill, and fall onto the catcher table 5. The catcher immediately passes the rolled bars over the top of the two-high mill to the roller, so that the bars are down by the under and over method, which is a very rapid operation.

When the bars have been sufficiently roughed down, they are passed by the catcher, without any reheating, to the table 6,

which is the entering table for the three-high mill 7 This mill has a small diameter middle roll, and is designed to produce thin sheet metal, being rigid, wide, and also kept cool with water, as by a spray 7a.

It is not practical to pass sheet bars directly to a three-high-mill because they are too short to manipulate. This is the reason for the preliminary passing through the twohi h mill.

n the three-high mill 7 the roller introduces the roughed out plates, which are furnished from the two-high mill, either first singly, or first in packs of two or more, which he assembles on the table of his mill.

The piece when passed through the lower and middle roll'of the three-high mill, is ejected onto the tilting table 8. This table may be automatically operated or operated rolled single thickness,

by a catcher. The piece when it passes onto the table is fed by means of the table, or, if the table is not automatic, is manipulated by the catcher so that it passes back to the roller between the working or middle roll and the large upper roll of the mill 7.

The entrance table 6 of the three-high mill is of special construction in one respect. We.

have shown a chain conveyor 6a, in a diagrammatic manner, since any feedtable will be satisfactory. The important point is, that located along the table at one side thereof only, is a side, guide plate 66. Since, as it will be recalled, the roller is called upon to roll packs on this three-high mill, and to perform his work with rapidity, the use of this side guide is important.

What occurs 1s, that as the piece or pack comes through the mill above the central roll, it will fall on the feed table which urges it toward the bite of the lower and middle rolls. The operator grasps the ack with his tongs as it comes out over the eed table, and jams it up against the side guide. He then lets go of the pack and it feeds accurately and regularly into the mill.

If the pieces are in the form of packs when first introduced in the mill 7, then the rolling continues to and fro in the manner noted until the desired gauge is reached. If thepassed through the mill in they are given a pass or so in the single, and are then assembled into packs by the roller, whereupon the rolling continues in packs.

We have found, in preparing rough plate for a further rolhng operation, that around 16 gauge is a good thickness for the finished product, and we can readily accomplish this, and we can, with the types of mechanisms noted, produce rough plate having a very uniform cross section and thickness. Also, we have rolled 18 gauge sheets on this setup, same being a commercial product.

Preferably we impart to the roughplate when this is what we are making, by, a control of the various factors entering into the active passes in the several operations, a rearranged cross sectional contour, whic is somewhat convex.

The rough plate produced will have the desired width of the final product, same being provided for in cutting the sheet bar; it will also have its convexity extending lengthwise of the direction in which the assembled pieces are to be further rolled, which makes pieces are first it possible for the final rolling to be done ters Patent, is

expeditiously.

Having thus described our inventlon, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Let- 1. The combination for the purpose described of a furnace, one two-high mill with its tables, and one three-high mill with its tables.

sists in starting with heated sheet bars,

2. The combination for the purpose described of a continuous furnace, one two-high mill arranged for rollin sheet bars in pairs by under and over method, and one threehigh mill having a small central roll arranged for producingv sheets. 1 a

3. The combination for the purpose described of a continuous furnace, a two-high mill arranged for rolling sheet bars in pairs by under and over method, and a three-high mill having a small central roll arranged for producing sheets, and a tilting table for. the three-high mill.

4. The combination for the purpose described of a furnace, a two-high mill with its and a three-high mill with its tables,

tables, I the outlet table of the three-high mill being a tilting table.

5. That process for a succeeding rolling operation, which consists .in starting with heated sheet bars, then by under and over method rolling out the sheet bars, and without reheating passing the product of this rolling to and fro between the rolls of a three-high mill having a small central working roll.

6. That process for forming rough plate for a succeeding rolling operation, which climt en by under and over method rolling out the sheet bars,'and without reheating passing the product of this rolling to rolls of a three-high mill having a small central working roll, and so arranging the active passes in the three-high mill as to produce material which has a substantially uniform.

thickness and cross sectional contour, said cross sectional contour being convex in the direction of rolling.

8. The combination for the purpose deand fro between the 4 I scribed of a furnace, one two-high mill with its tables, and one three-high mill with its tables, both of the said mills being kept cool by ap lication of water thereto.

9. e combination for the purpose described of a continuoils furnace, one two-high mill arranged for rollin sheet bars in airs by under and over meth and one threei h mill having a'small central roll arranged or Eroducin sheets, both of the said mills being I y pt cool y application of water thereto.

10. The com ination for the purpose de scribed of a continuous furnace, a two-high mill arranged for rolling sheet bars in pairs by under and oier method, and a three-hi h mill having a small central roll arranged or producing sheets, and a tilting table for the three-high mill, both of the said mills being kept cool by application of water thereto.

11. That process for forming rough plate for a succeeding rolling operation, which consists in starting with heated sheet bars, then by under and over method rolling out the sheet bars, and without'reheating passing the product of this rolling to and fro between the rolls of a three-high mill having a small central working roll, at least the concluding passes in the three-high mill being'with the material in two thicknesses.

12. A three-high mill for pack rolling comprising two large backing up rolls and a smaller diameter central working roll, a feed table at the entering side of the mill, and a single side guide for said feed table on the opposite side from the position where the operator stands, for the purpose described.

RUSSELL B. SMITH. WILLIAM F. SONGER. LAMBERT A. SALENDER. 

